The present invention relates to high repetition rate, high power spark gap switches of the type used in pulsed lasers, radar systems and pulse forming networks.
Typically in prior art applications, a capacitor or the like is charged to a voltage while the switch isolates the load during the quiescent or charging period of each firing cycle. At the moment of firing, the switch is made conducting and the charge on the capacitor or the like is discharged through the load after which the switch is made nonconducting and the capacitor permitted to be recharged. Since the capacitor or the like cannot be charged up while the switch is in the conducting state, the time it takes to render the switch nonconducting plus the time it takes to recharge establishes the maximum pulse repetition rate.
The state of the art in these devices generally is indicated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,187 and the references cited therein. There, a blowing out of residual hot gases and discharge products from the spark gap is enhanced by provision of an annular deLaval nozzle to provide a superior high repetition rate of physical sweeping away which reduced the necessary cycle period (i.e., increases allowable frequency of sparking). Physically blowing away gap gases is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,829 in an arc light at DC (or in AC or pulse mode at unspecified frequency).
It is an important object of the present invention to provide still further frequency increase, in high power level spark gap switching one or more kilohertz compared to the 0.1-0.5 kilohertz frequency of the above state of the art.